Dr Alessandro Palermo says his research
team has been testing New Zealand’s first concrete bridge
that incorporates damage-resistant seismic technology along
with self-centring capability. The bridge parts have been
assembled and tested at the University of Canterbury. See:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjdI7j8QLa0&feature=youtu.be.

``The bridge part is a fully prefabricated half-scale
multi-column bridge support suitable for a typical New
Zealand highway bridge. The specimen we are testing is three
and a half metres high and about six metres long. It’s
most likely the biggest bridge specimen ever tested not only
on campus but in a New Zealand laboratory.

``Our
bridge test specimen weighs more than 23 tonnes. It will be
loaded with an additional 40 tonnes to simulate the weight
of the bridge deck it will support. The testing is part of
the ABC research project funded by the Natural Hazards
Research Platform.

``Although a lot of research has
been carried out in the United States and previously in
Canterbury, this series of tests features innovative
construction details which makes solutions not only
structurally sound but also cost-effective.

``Prefabricating the whole bridge part in the factory
means acceleration in the speed of construction and better
quality control and it saves significant time in
construction. The bridge parts are then transported to the
construction site for assembly.

``Past experience from
prefabrication of bridges in the United States shows only a
few weeks or even days are needed to construct a bridge,
compared to the traditional cast-in-place construction which
can take several months or even years.

``Also changes
to the connection to replace the fasteners after an
earthquake means that bridges will not be closed for a long
time for any repairs.

PhD candidate Mustafa Mashal,
who has been heading this research part, says external fuses
at the column connections will absorb seismic energy and
thus, eliminate damage to concrete columns and the steel
bars inside them. This will also protect the footings and
cap beam from suffering any structural damage following a
big earthquake.

Dr Palermo who is supervising the
project says New Zealand had already started implementing
the early technologies for self-centring bridges 40 years
ago. The South Rangitīkei viaduct designed by Kiwi inventor
and scientist Dr Ivan Skinner was the first self-centring
bridge in the world.

Several organisations involved in
the Christchurch rebuild including Opus and Stronger
Christchurch Infrastructure Rebuild team (SCIRT) have been
favourably impressed. Further testing will be carried out
over the coming weeks.

``The Christchurch rebuild can
be the real driver for using new seismic design technologies
available from the UC bridge programme.

``We want to
find technical solutions for bridges which are quick to
construct and erect on the site; that are resistant to
earthquakes and with higher material quality control and
more importantly that are cost-competitive,’’ Dr Palermo
says.

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